What's New - Lisa Winkler

County Law Libraries Renamed

After being known as "Legal Resource Centers" for nearly a decade, we are pleased to now call them the Dane County Law Library and Milwaukee County Law Library. These new names give our users a better understanding of the legal information services we offer. Both county law libraries work extensively with legal service providers. Complimentary to that one-on-one assistance, the library provides convenient access to legal information and space to work right in each Courthouse. Visitors may conduct research, word process court documents, make photocopies, and prepare for hearings using such valuable tools as Westlaw and Wisconsin Jury Instructions at no cost (other than printing).

Even though their names have changed, the exceptional services have not. We can help users find information in any of the books, databases, or web-based resources we have. We also offer classroom instruction on legal research and various electronic resources used in the legal research process. The Milwaukee County Law Library coordinates free monthly classes with the Milwaukee Public Library. The Dane County Law Library contributes to the monthly classes offered at the State Law Library. Find the current schedule on our Classes page.

Upcoming Classes

There will be three classes offered in May at three convenient times to fit your schedule.

This year has brought changes to the Wisconsin Administrative Code and the Administrative Register. As you may know, "state sponsored" printing and distribution of the Administrative Code and Register stopped as of January 1st, 2015 and both have become electronic-only publications. To help our users who prefer to use the print Code, we are pleased to announce the State Law Library will continue to maintain current print copies at our main library and at the Milwaukee County and Dane County Law Libraries.

The State Law Library will also continue to preserve a print collection of Wisconsin Administrative Code replaced pages. When a new Administrative Code chapter is inserted in the Code, the library keeps the removed pages and binds these pages according to Administrative Register number. Our Administrative Code archive dates back to the late 1950s, with select historical codes and general orders going back to the 1920s. The library also owns the Wisconsin Red Book Administrative Rules and Order, better known as the Red Book, which was published from 1940 to 1950.

Online Access to Current and Archival Code

The current Administrative Code continues to be available online in HTML and PDF formats on the Legislative Reference Bureau's website. The Code is updated monthly with changes published in the most recent end-of-month Register. The online Register is now published each Monday.

In 2013, the Legislative Reference Bureau completed a scanning project of the historic Administrative Code. The archived Administrative Code collection dates back to the first Register volume in 1956 and is arranged by year. Each year contains a list of Registers that inserted or removed chapters from the Code. The chapters are available in PDF format. Links to historic Registers are also included within "History" sections following individual regulations.

Administrative Code and Administrative Register Alerts

You can receive email notices when a new Administrative Register is published or when specific types of documents in the Register are published such as hearing notices, emergency rules, public notices, and executive orders. You can also be alerted when a selected Administrative Code chapter or group of agency chapters has changed or when a rulemaking notice affecting a chapter has been published in the Register. Email notices will contain links to the updated chapters or documents. To subscribe to email notifications, visit the Wisconsin Legislative Notification Service website.

RSS feeds to stay up-to-date on Administrative Code changes are also available. For more information, visit the RSS Feeds page on the Legislature's website.

The State Law Library will continue to be a resource for your administrative regulation research needs. If you would like help with either the current or archival Administrative Code or Register, please ask one our reference librarians. A future article will focus on searching the Code, Register and archive.

This Just In - Pete Boll

This easy to read practice management guide addresses the issues arising from the need to manage records and information in a law office. In addition to providing strategies and tips to manage the daily barrage of emails, data, and documents, records management expert George Cunningham offers advice on:

Understanding the practical and ethical reasons for adopting a workable strategy for records information management and information governance (RIM/IG)

Records and information management tools currently available

Devising solutions and strategies to manage law office records without taking up too much time

Determining what records must be kept, what should be kept, and for how long

Premises liability law encompasses the liability of owners or occupiers of real property for personal injury sustained by entrants and tenants upon the land. The latest update to this useful one volume treatise includes legal development updates and new case law in the areas of:

Liability to trespassers

Liability to invitees

The slip-and-fall case

Suits against the government

Throughout the text the authors also include:

Trial transcripts with commentary demonstrating techniques for proving or disproving a claim

Tech Tip - Heidi Yelk

Technology and Attorney Ethics

When it comes to new technology, attorneys are in a difficult position. It's not enough to know how to use the technology - attorneys also need to consider whether the technology can be used in a manner that does not violate rules of professional responsibility.

Here is a brief, annotated list of recent articles focusing on the topic of new technology and attorney ethics. These articles are available online (link provided below when available) or through our databases. Ask a librarian for help finding any of them.

"The move to cloud city: the benefits and risks of cloud computing" by Nick J. Badgerow. The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association Jan. 2015
Extensive discussion of ethics rules and recommendations for compliance. Available via HeinOnline.

Odds N' Endings - National Library Week 2015

In recognition of National Library Week, the State Law Library hosted a variety of public and staff events. One of the brightest highlights from this week was the public information booth we held on the sidewalk outside of the library. To create more awareness about the library's services and location, Lisa Winkler and Carol Hassler distributed 100 limited edition bookmarks and another 50 brochures. People stopped into the library during our Open House for brief tours and to explore the space.